The Green Album
by Cashmeritan
Summary: Sure Rae was curious about BB's past. But that didn't mean she wanted to be hurled into it, reliving it by his side as his silent imaginary friend, Birdy. Yet now, she is. Raven's stuck, and she's learning more about BB than she bargained for. BBxRae (Update: It's finally over!)
1. just a dreeeeam?

_**The Green Album**_

**Chapter 1:**

_**Just A Dream?**_

x-x

**DISCLAIMER: I DOOO NOOOOT OOOWWWWN TEEEEEEN TIIIIIITANSSSSS -Matrix™ slow motion- Never have, never will. I don't own Green Day, or Weezer (whose album was the namesake of the title of this fic.) or Rolling Stone or ANYTHING!**

**But enjoy the ficcy anyway! It took forever to make this chapter . . .**

xXx

"Come on, Rae. It's only a little, harmless concert!" Beast Boy whined, as he once again thrust the 2 green-colored pieces of paper, (that were tickets) into her pale face. "If you go, I-I promise to leave you alone! . . . Scratch that. That's impossible! EEP! I mean . . . What I mean is . . . Gahh . . ."

Raven glanced up at the green teen from her 'oh-so-interesting' leather-bound book, eyebrow lifting. Inside, she wanted to laugh in amusement, but no. No, she was RAVEN! Raven, for God's sake! She had to remain calm, and tranquil. She had to remain . . . Raven. "No," she said; flat out and simple.

His jaw probably would have dropped all the way to Hell's level if it were possible. "_No?_" he repeated in astonishment, arm limply dropping from near her face. "Did you just say . . . No?"

"No," Raven said, and then realized her mistake, cheeks burning. "I mean yes!"

"You said no to no!" he cried, punching a fist into the air.

"No. I said YES to no."

"Wait . . . what? I'm getting really confused over here . . ." Beast Boy shut his eyes tightly, massaging his forehead.

"I said: 'NO!' to your STUPID little Gay Day concert. Now, leave me alone, and go ask someone more . . . sensible of going. Like Robin," Raven told him in her usual monotone.

"Ask someone ELSE? Are you CRAZY? I-I . . ." No, Beast Boy. No. Don't go and start telling her the REAL reason you asked her out on this trick-date . . .

"Well, then I guess I am," she said, unaffected. "Now, GO already."

"Pleeeeeee---"

How stupid of him . . . It was like he had suddenly unleashed a terrible, apocalyptic beast into the world. Raven dropped her book and lashed out at him; an extra set of eyes appearing as now, all 4 gleamed red with malice. "I.SAID.NO!" she bellowed in a voice un-like her normal one. This one was a booming, violent one that resembled her father's.

Beast Boy shrank back, eyes wide and trembling. "S-Sorry, Rae . . ." He did his best to try and mask the hurt as he turned away, and ran out of the living room as fast as his scrawny legs could carry him.

After a few deadly silent moments after he had left, Raven finally breathed out fully. That is, until she breathed in again, and her heart started to ache. Bowing her head shamefully, she sighed. How could she have just treated him so shamelessly? He was her FRIEND?

'More than that . . .' A hidden emotion chimed in inside the back of her head. Going rigid, Raven decided to just . . . ignore that stupid, mindless, and seemingly nameless emotion that she had kept locked up in her mind for so long.

'So long it has been, Ravie-gal. Aintcha gonna lemme out for some fun?' the emotion asked teasingly. 'You DESPERATELY need it.'

Growling under her breath and clenching her fists, Raven muttered under her breath, "Go away."

'I can't, dear. If you deny me, it will only create MORE chaos.'

"I SAID--"

She stopped, knowing fully well what would happen if she continued to play stupid with herself. That's what she was doing.

Denying a part of herself.

Then, the emotion's voice came again, this time barely a sweet whisper in Raven's mind . . .

'Go to him. Apologize. Say yes.'

"Never."

'Lose the big tough girl attitude, Raven. WE BOTH know what TRULY lies inside of you.'

"We?"

' . . . x.X; Just go friggin' talk to him. Apologize for being the bitch that you just . . . naturally are.'

"HEY! I'm NOT a bitch. It's YOU who makes me a bitch."

'Riiight . . . Real mature, Rae. Blame all your problems on a "fake" emotion.'

"Fa-- You're twisting my words around!"

'Cyborg's in the living room staring at you. You're talking to yourself, Rae.' With that, the emotion disappeared.

Raven was left sitting there with her cheeks a deep scarlet color. Cyborg stood behind her, eyebrow raised, jaw hanging open.

"Rae . . . Are . . . You . . . All right?" He asked cautiously. Raven shook her head rapidly, and sighed heavily.

"Yeah. No. Yes. No. . . . Maybe." The introvert rose, and with a swish of her cape, she was gone.

xXx

'How the hell do you apologize to someone?' Raven thought to herself, as she stood in front of Beast Boy's bedroom door, palms sweating.

'Do I just . . . smile (ew) and say 'Sorry for ruining your life'? Or say 'Sorry' and run away?'

Finally, she knocked once.

Then twice.

Three times.

Panicking, she did it JUST.ONCE.MORE.

The door didn't sweep open, until a few seconds later. No one was standing there, and the entire cramped bed-room was as dark as a raven's feather.

"Beast Boy?" Raven called out softly.

There was no reply, or noise, except for a very slight rustle that her telepathic senses were able to pick up. Eyes glowing, she looked around.

The rustle wasn't caused by anything human.

Squinting and trying to look around, Raven slowly made her way inside the room. She gasped out loud when she felt her thin-booted foot step into something soft and cold, and her heart raced ominously as she reached down, and picked up the object. Feeling all around, she was relieved to find that it was only just an old soggy piece of pizza.

There was a strange smell coming from what she thought was a book-case in the corner of the room; something that smelled pleasant. It intoxicated her senses, and beckoned her to come closer for more. Dare she?

Her mind was almost blank, and she reached out, stretching her body across, and her finger-tips brushed up against a thin, and long object that was skinnier than a pencil. Using her other arm, she steaded herself against the book-case, while the other hand formed a harder grip around the thin 'stick'.

This seemed to be the source of the smell, for now, the sweet, potpourri-like scent was getting more intense. Raven finally picked the stick up, and held it up to her noise, inhaling the stick deeply.

It was incense.

But who would have known that Beast Boy, of all people; the king of mess and WRONG smells; would have a stick of incense?

Raven never got to fully think about it, for as soon as she had inhaled the fragrance, she felt her world spinning around and around. The smell faded, and Beast Boy's room disappeared in a flash of blinding white light. She was immobile, and forced to her knees, head down and arms shielding her ears and face as she felt her mouth open.

She screamed once, and she couldn't even hear it. All she heard was a high-pitched frequency of noise. All she heard was something undetectable. Her powers couldn't find the source. It wasn't human.

Her whole life flashed before her eyes. Her birth, her father, Azar, her mother, the Titans, and then . . . an older, more mature-looking Beast Boy? The images had gone by so fast, she didn't have time to focus on just one. All she knew was that her eyes were shut tightly, and the world around her stopped spinning, from what she felt.

The only noise was a faint whimper, and soft, gentle crying from someone around her. Birds sang in the background, symbolizing that it was most likely morning.

Morning? How could things have gone from 6 P.M. to morning in such a short amount of time?

Cautiously, Raven lowered her arms from her head, and one eye opened just a crack . . .

Colors! She saw colors!

The eye opened the rest of the way, the other one opening as well.

Her heart nearly stopped beating.

She was no longer in the Titans Tower, or in Beast Boy's room. Hell, she even doubted that she was in America! Or in 2005!

The room that she was in was primitive and simple, with walls made of what looked like bamboo sticks or grass. The floor was solid dirt, and there was an open hole in the wall, making a 'window'. There was also a mattress, covered in a cotton sheet, in the corner, with a cheetah-spotted pillow-case.

But, the most amazing sight in the room happened to be the small boy sitting in front of her.

He was hunched over, his dirty blonde hair falling into his face while he weeped quietly (and in a muffled way) into his hands. His body was trembling, and he looked like he couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 years old.

Raven was over-whelmed by all of this. Where was she? Who was the kid? What the hell was that incense? Was she just drugged?

One thing that she had failed to notice was the tall mirror that hung behind the boy, showing his reflection as he shook, and sobbed, and moaned. Until her eyes flickered upwards in that direction, she had been certain that she was just dreaming or something.

She stared into the mirror, searching for herself.

She wasn't there.

There was no reflection of her body in the mirror.

Raven reached up slowly, and touched her face. The skin felt as real as it had always had, if not colder and now covered in goosebumps from being nervous. Her clothing had the same touch, and she could see, hear, smell, and touch everything around her. Plus, she could still taste the far-off bitter taste of the herbal tea that she had drunk just before Beast Boy had begun his ramble about the Green Day tickets with her. It was all so eerie. Was she dreaming her entire life? Is anything real? Did she die?

The little boy stopped crying, and paused, slowly looking up at the introverted teen who sat shocked in front of him. He sniffed, wiping his nose, and stared at her. Raven looked at him, and their eyes locked. His were a deep, cerulean blue, that contrasted well to his fair hair. His skin was tanned from probably being in the sun, and he looked on at her innocently, once and a while wiping his nose once more.

"W-Who are you?" Raven managed to find the words to say, and they came out in a hoarse whisper, for her voice didn't obscure the fear and confusion that she felt right now. She felt around on the floor, amused at its dusty feel and how whenever she brushed her finger tips across it, the clouds of light brown would rise.

"I-I-I-'m G-G-Gar," the boy said, looking rather confused also. His eyes were so large, that they showed almost every emotion that he felt. By looking into them, he could give his thoughts away to you without ever saying a word.

Gar? Didn't that name sound familiar?

After a moment of thinking, the realization finally swept over Raven. Of course! A few months before, when someone had sent Beast Boy a letter asking him to renew his subscription to Rolling Stone, the address label had said 'Gar Logan'! And then Cyborg had gone on a huge field day about making fun of Beast Boy's given name.

She could still hear the chanting of 'Gaaarfield! Gaaaarfield!' re-playing over and over and over again in her head, which allowed her lips to twitch ever-so-slightly into a tiny smile, but it was soon erased entirely when she cleared her throat.

"Why am I here?" she asked.

'Gar' shrugged. "To play?" he offered.

"I don't play," Raven told him coldly.

Gar's eyes were as wide as saucers. "You . . . do not play?"

Rolling her eyes, Raven repeated, "I don't play," as if the little kid in front of her had a large problem with comprehending any of what she was saying.

"How! Why?"

" . . . Look. Just . . . do I know you?" she asked suspiciously, eyebrow raising. There was a special . . . connection, that had forged itself between her mind and this little midget-child. It was as if they had somehow met before. Maybe in a past life? But how could THAT explain the funky incense in Beast Boy's room?

"Of course you do!" Gar chirped, standing up and brushing the fronts of his shirt and shorts off. He was roughly just about 3 feet tall, and Raven, who had always felt extremely short, felt herself liking the feeling of being the taller on campus.

"But . . . how?" she asked, brow knitting together in confusion. "This is all physically impossible!"

"Because _you're_ my birdy!"

Okay. Too weird.

What was that little midget saying?

Raven gasped under her breath. Perhaps she had magically gone into the future and met her future son?

That didn't make sense. The kid didn't look anything LIKE her! But . . . he DID remind her of someone . . . Someone she couldn't quite put her finger on . . .

"I'm your . . . birdy?" Raven blinked twice, then glared. "Look, midget. I'm not your pet bird or your sister or your mommy, or your daddy for that matter, or your FRIEND! I'm NO ONE that you know! You're just some stupid, dumb little BABY who probably isn't potty-trained!"

Gar stared at her, chewing his lower lip as it began to tremble violently. His eyes expanded in sadness, and glistened as tears began to well up and spill over his long-lashed eyes. "W-We are not f-f-f-wiends?"

Damning the emotion within her as her heart began to melt, Raven sighed. "Fine, fine. Look. Where are your parents?"

"O-O-Outside . . . "

"Can you take me to them?" Raven questioned, trying to keep her cool and keep from blowing up at the little child in front of her.

Gar nodded meekly, reaching out for her hand. Raven was still crouched down, and she eyed the hand like it had just severed itself from the rest of them, then she cringed and hesitantly took it. He 'companion' led her out of the room, holding her hand, while using his other hand to wipe his eyes and nose. Raven noted that every room in the house looked like it was made of patted-down dirt and some twigs, but it smelled . . . fresh.

There was no T.V. or anything, either! The closest thing to being modern was a heavy-looking wooden door in the corner of the living space, which had 'LAB' carved into it. The front door looked like a leaf-covered mass, and there were no windows aside from the one in 'Gar's room. The sunlight peeped in through the many cracks between the interwoven twigs, which seemed to be enough light.

But where was the rest of that light coming from?

Raven wondered that as soon as she felt heat warm the top of her head, and she quickly glanced up.

Her eyes met with a brilliant robin's-egg blue sky, filled with large, puffy cumulus clouds that took their time traveling across it. So there was no roof or ceiling.

Interesting.

Where the hell was she!

Gar pushed open the front door, and another wave of bright light attacked Raven's eyes, which she shut tightly to protect. Gar called, "Mommy! Mommyyyyy . . . Daddy?"

Opening her eyes slowly, Raven poked her head outside the door, and choked on a gasp.

Rolling grassland hills that stretched as far as the eye could see, with very distant roof-top like trees in the farthest distance . . .

The grass was so tall, it was like you couldn't be sure if there was a predator prowling within them or not.

Raven could only guess where she was . . .

A grassland in Africa.

Everything was so overwhelming, that her body couldn't take it.

She fainted right there and then.

xXx

"Birdy? Biiiirdy? Are you awaaaake?" Came the sweet whisper of Gar's voice as he gently tried to shake Raven awake.

Her eyelids shot open, and her pupils dilated, looking around. "W-Where am I?"

"In my woom!" Gar cried. Raven didn't even wince or cringe at the way he had mispronounced 'room', and just sat up, rubbing her head. Her eyes flickered upward to the sky, which was a deep bluish-purple and filled with tiny stars. A night sky.

How long had it been sinc e she conked out?

"Uhm . . . you . . ." she groaned, rubbing her eyes. "You live here?"

"Yeah!" Gar said excitedly, jumping up beside her. He had positioned Raven across his cotton-sheet mattress, and tucked her in precisely to her comfort. (How had he known?) He grabbed her hand, stroking it in his own, which had flesh as soft as a newborn baby's.

" . . . Why?"

"Because Mommy and Daddy . . . they-they work for BIG peoples who said to live HERE so we moved from our our old house and came h-hereeee," Gar explained, not fully understanding it himself.

"What do they do?" Raven inquired.

"Put medicine on annie-mulls."

"Animals?"

" . . . YEA!" And he immediately did a surprisingly good imitation of an elephant. "I LOVE the annie-mulls!"

"That's . . . nice . . . but why do you keep calling me birdy? And why can't I see myself in the mirror?" Raven kept laying random questions on the boy, who merely blinked.

"Because you ARE Birdy! You've been my bestest fwiend forever! Mommy and Daddy don't see you though . . . they say you're ih-ih-ih-maaaaaaaaaaash-innnnn-hairrrryyyyy."

"Imaginary?"

" . . . YEA!" Gar grinned up at her. His teeth were as white and bright as the stars. Eerie.

Raven felt a sudden chill whip over her body.

She wasn't real?

"But my name's RAVEN! It's not Birdy! And I'm 16! And I live in an abnormally-shaped T Tower! I don't LIVE IN . . . wherever this is . . ." she ranted.

"We wiv in Oooper Loomooboo! . . . in A freaka! And I'm five, not sixty!" Gar giggled. "My gramma's sixty!"

"I'm . . . sure she is . . ." Raven gripped her forehead.

This was all a dream . . . just a crazy, insane, un-real dream.

Any minute now, she'd wake up and find herself sprawled out across Beast Boy's floor, pizza sticking to her hair, the incense in her hand, and she won't even remember ANY of this . . .

She sat quietly and patiently . . . and waited.

. . . Aaaaand waited.

Until finally, she found herself realizing that maybe, just maybe . . . she wasn't going to wake up.

Maybe this wasn't a dream . . .

xXx

**_A/N:_** **-wipes bead of sweat off of forehead- Wow! This is a fic. that I've wanted to write for SOOO long! Even though it's like the opposite of my story 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings', I can assure you . . . this one will be TEN TIMES BETTER!**

**God! It's so much fun to do mini-BB . . . He's so cute! Damn, I want a little kid for my birthday . . ,**

**Anyway, you know the drill.**

**Read and Revoo, as Gar would say. xP**

**READ AND REVIIIIIIIIEWWWW! I need to know how you feel about this one!**


	2. Back to teh footuer kinda

_**The Green Album**_

**Chapter 2:**

_**Back to the Future . . . kinda**_

_**I DON'T OWN TEEN TITANS. -shifty look- And uhm, no, no they aren't in my closet banging on the door screaming to be let out . . . -nervous laugh- hehe . . .**_

xTTx

Ironic as it may have seemed, Raven actually fell asleep that night, lulled into a deep reverie by the sounds of . . . weird-sounding birds singing. Actually, she was quite peaceful this night, and didn't have to succumb to emotions bickering inside her head. It was like she was dreaming in a dream.

Until the dream turned sour (she had been dreaming of doing naughty things with Beast Boy), and she heard whispers in the background of her sleep. Quick, hushed whispers, sounding desperate and alone. What was going on?

Her eyes fluttered open to find herself in Gar's room, yes, beside Gar, yes, but he was rolling around and around in bed, moaning in discomfort. Raven herself sensed a certain feeling from Gar that struck through her body like a lightning bolt. She was feeling his pain. Hunched over in bed, she let out soft moans of her own, rubbing her temples to try and relieve herself.

Squinting to see, she reached over and shook Gar. "W-What's going on?" she rasped out. Gar stopped rolling and thrashing, staring at Raven unblinkingly. His large blue eyes seemed to call out to her, crying desperately for help to escape the pain rushing through his nerves. He reached out to her, latching on to her arm and pulling himself closer.

"Bi-Bi-Birdy, I no feel so good," Gar whispered to her in a raspy voice. It was almost like Beast Boy's, just higher-pitched. Raven sighed, throwing the towel in by stroking the three-year old's back lazily, while trying to swallow down her own throbbing pain.

"I know," she mumbled in a wimpy reply, feeling her cheeks flush in fever. Already she knew that Gar was burning up as well.

The bedroom door flew open, and a tall woman with dirty blonde hair and piercing blue eyes (that matched Gar's perfectly in color and contrast) strode in, extending her arms as she scooped Gar up within them. Her hair was wavy, unlike Gar's, and she kissed his forehead, worry etching itself across her face. Gulping, the woman turned around, shouting, "MARK! MAAARK!"

Raven bolted upright in confusion, gasping out loud when she felt a sudden ache rip her head into shreds. This was NO way to live. It felt like she were going to barf, right there and then, and she damned her empathy to HELL.

A few moments later, a tall, well-muscled man with dark brown hair and electrifying green eyes dashed in, his shirtless chest tanned from the African sun. (A/N: Wow. How descriptive can I get? XP) His face also showed worry, as he rubbed the back of his neck and stood behind the woman, placing his hands on her hips, and gazing at Gar. "What happened to him?" the man whispered in shock.

The woman looked at him over her shoulder. "Mark, Gar's sick. He HAS been showing a few signs of it before . . . but with your work . . ."

"You didn't want to interrupt me?" Mark finished for her in a half-groan. Running a hand through his thick, shiny hair, he bit his lip. "Marie, we have to run those tests on him, then . . ."

"No!" Marie yelped, clutching Gar closer to her chest. "I don't want him to be in ANYMORE pain! Mark, please. Tell me there's ANOTHER antidote?"

"There IS no antidote if we don't know what this disease is," Mark pointed out, and Raven felt herself in a trance. Mark, who was extremely good looking, reminded her of a suave, more mature Beast Boy. The eye shape was the same, and so was the nose. Their figure was similar also, except Mark's was more buff. But Gar reminded her of Beast Boy as well . . . And Marie, too.

Putting this all together in her mind, she thought long and hard. They all remind her of BB . . . especially Gar . . . and this was in Africa . . .

But a sharp pain in her head caused her to drop all thoughts, as she conked out in unconsciousness, right alongside Gar.

XTTX

The sound of a scream rang through Raven's ears as she woke up for the second time that morning. The sun was high overhead, and the hot rays beat down upon her hair, warming it to no extent. Groaning as she opened her eyes, another scream, followed by a whimper, came again. Blinking until her vision came to focus, she found herself still in Gar's room, but the screams were getting louder, and closer together.

Standing up wobbily, while rubbing her forehead, Raven followed the sound, all the way to the wooden door with the engravement 'LAB'. Pushing the door open, she gasped as she descended into a white-walled room, filled with the most laboratory equipment she had ever seen.

The screams bounced off the walls, hitting Raven's ears as she slid along the wall, peering over the edge. Gar was cuffed to a laboratory slab, wailing and trying to escape. Marie and Mark, or so Raven presumed, were dressed in lab coats, with protective helmets and goggles. Marie held a clipboard, while Mark inserted different needles of unique lengths into their son. Raven's jaw dropped in horror at this, until it closed at the sound of Marie and Mark both coaxing Gar and saying that it would be alright, genuine care easily detectable in there voices.

Raven felt a pang of jealousy, as the dark pit within her swelled again. Something she never received was genuine care and reassurance like that. She shook it off as she felt the pain of needles being inserted into her stomach, but she looked down to see nothing touching her in any area. Swallowing, she sat beside Gar, holding his hand. Gar looked at her, and almost smiled despite the pain.

"You came," he whispered, inaudible to anyone but Raven. Raven smiled a little.

"Of course," she whispered back, and almost slapped herself for being kind.

A few hours later, after numerous needle jabbings, the sun began to go down, and a beautiful sunset appeared above their heads. Gar was transferred back to his bed to recuperate, and his mother would come in every so often, handing him a fresh mug of hot soup, and placing a delicate kiss on his forehead. Raven was beside Gar the whole time, still battling mentally and attempting to figure out why the hell she was there.

Once Gar was asleep, and Raven wide awake from her earlier nap, she sat up, stroking his cheek absentmindedly. Despite how they had just met, she felt a special connection between him . . . somehow.

XTTX

She didn't know where she was, or how she had gotten there once more, blinking in darkness absently as she heard hushed whispers come from nearby. The clouds swept across the moon, unobscuring it, and sent moonlight down into the room. Two figures, both adults, both Gar's parents, were whispering to eachother, and it was loud enough that Raven could hear.

"Side-effects? What KINDS of side-effects?" Marie hissed, trying to restrain the anger that fought to be released.

"Don't worry, dear. Nothing TOO drastic . . ." Mark whispered calmly. "Probably just a fever . . . or slight skin rash . . . Afterall, monkey DNA CAN tend to be a tad unstable in humans . . ."

"Well no duh," Marie growled. "He's a HUMAN child. We're ALL humans, Mark. Not experiments."

"Marie . . . calm yourself, love."

"DON'T tell me to do ANYTHING," Marie whispered loudly. "Come on, before we wake the boy."

And with that, the whispers stopped, except for a faint, "When will the side-effects begin?" from Marie.

Very softly, Raven heard Mark's reply of "Tomorrow morning."

XTTX

A very shrill scream echoed throughout the house, and the sound of birds flapping away desperately followed. "SLIGHT SIDE-EFFECTS?" came Marie's screaming voice.

"MARIE! HONESTLY! I-I DIDN'T KNOW!" Mark shakily shouted.

Raven's eyes shot open, and she looked around hastily. She was still in Gar's room, but now she saw Marie holding a large, blue-blanketed bundle, with a worried Mark still beside her. The blanket fell, revealing a small boy, entirely green, clutching his mother while he wept soflty. Marie cried softly too.

"Can it be reversed?" she asked.

Mark shook his head solemnly. "Sorry, Marie . . . it's permanent. He'll be like this forever."

It was as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water onto Raven, as she finally figured out who the boy was.

IT WAS BEAST BOY.

Right then, everything went black, and all noise and sobs swirled into a black portal. Raven gripped her head, looking around to try and locate the others, but found nothing, but ebony darkness. Until, sound faded in, with hearty laughs and gentle giggles, and a burst of white light blinded Raven's vision, causing her to shut her eyes tightly.

Falling to her knees, or so she thought, a scene of reality slowly ebbed its way around her. After opening an eye, she heard birds singing.

"Damn it!" Raven cursed, and the scene of the same house she had been in before faded into view. Except, her throat closed off in a gasp as she saw a green boy, probably about 8 years old, wearing khaki shorts and a blue T-shirt, running back and forth across what used to be Gar's bedroom, packing a fishing pole into a bag.

Wait a sec.

That WAS Gar.

Doing a double-take, she grabbed a hold of the boy, shaking him. Gar glanced at her, eyebrow raised. "Something wrong?" he asked innocently, brushing a straight strand of green hair out of his eyes. Raven stood up, swallowing.

"YES, THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG!" she bellowed, waving her arms. "I'm SIXTEEN! _NOT_ 4! I'M _NOT _YOUR IMAGINARY FRIEND! MY NAME IS _NOT_ BIRDY! I AM FROM THE GOD DAMNED FUTURE!"

Gar's eyes widened. "You really can shout," he said with a smile. "Doesn't that hurt your throat?"

" . . . Not funny, midget," Raven grumbled, folding her arms. "Wait . . . You're him, aren't you?"

"Him?" he asked, tying his shoes.

"Beast Boy . . ."

"Beast Boy?" Gar rose, face scrunched up in confusion. "Who's he?" Smoothing his hair and shirt, he opened his bedroom door, grabbing the bag with the fishing pole and pausing to wipe his nose with his fist, sniffing.

" . . ." Finding it best NOT to start making herself look like a bigger loon, Raven sighed heavily, scratching the top of her head in thought. " . . . Where are you going?" she finally asked, nodding to the bag. Gar lugged the bag over his shoulder with a grin.

"Fishing with mom and dad," he answered her.

" . . . Sounds . . . fun?" Raven offered. As long as she was in this crazed reverie, she would have to play along. Holding the door open for the 8 year old as he stepped out of the room, she said sweetly, "How many are you going to catch, then?" She exited the room after him, closing the door silently.

"Ionno . . ." Gar said indecisively, walking into what Raven thought was the living room. "Probably less than 5. I never can catch as many as dad . . ."

Blinking in shock, Raven opened her mouth to speak, but then ended up closing it. She had expected him to say something along the lines of 'a zillion!' or 'all the fishies!'; not 'Probably less than 5'. Something was strange about this boy . . . the way he strung words together was very unlike Beast Boy's normal speech habits. In fact, Gar was acting way more mature than BB had ever had, even in his rare, yet brief, shining moments.

Puzzled, she leaned against the 'couch' casually, looking at Gar. "Uh-huh, and what about me?"

"You're coming too . . ." Gar told her, blinking in confusion. "I mean . . . why? Are you leaving for some reason?"

"I wish . . ." Raven muttered. "So . . . fishing? On a boat? . . . Are we going to wet?"

"Like you wouldn't know," Gar said sneakily, smirking.

xTTx

Raven sat in the raft, soaked, glaring at Gar dryly. "You could've warned me," she growled. Gar shrugged, smiling at her cutely. Marie and Mark sat on the other side of him, helping to paddle the raft around. Gar sat next to Raven occasionally glancing up at her and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Yep, that was Beast Boy, alright. But an 8 year old hitting on someone 8 years older than him? That was just wrong, in Raven's eyes. But hell, if it were BEAST BOY doing it, she'd have to admit that it made her feel . . . pleasant inside, somewhat.

Until the raft hit something hard and (A/N: readers, prepare yourselves for the corniest death scene ever) it skidded, then violently flung itself forward. Marie screamed, being hurled into the water, while Mark clutched on the of the rocks in the water. Gar gasped sharply, instantly morphing into a bird and flying out of the water, while Raven was without her powers (seeing as she was 'Birdy', who was someone else) and she flung herself into the water, kicking and splashing. Gar knelt down, morphing back, and yanked her out, reaching for his parents, who clung together while holding onto the rock. The current was so strong, that if they were to let go for any reason, they'd be sent down towards the waterfall.

Raven wrung her hair out, watching with wide eyes as Gar outstretched an arm, shooting it forward as he groped for his parents. Mark extended an arm as well, shakily, and their fingertips barely brushed together before Mark accidentally let go. Gar yelped, and shouted, "DAD! MOM!" But it was too late.

Sputtering and gasping, Marie and Mark disappeared under the current, and were swept away to their deaths.

Reaching out to touch Gar to try to reassure him that his parents were going to be fine, Raven was surprised when her hand went right through him this time. She blinked and attempted to shake him, only to have her hands then clasp together. He wiped his nose, ignoring her, and turned away as he knelt, bursting into sobs. This was strange. She looked down at her hands, just as everything became a swirling vortex, and she was thrust forward into a portal.

This time, she was prepared. Bracing her arms over her face as the violent blows occurred around her, she knelt down, as if trying to wish it all away. Until she heard a 'DUUUUDE!'

Glancing up, her jaw dropped.

xTTx

A/N: Okey. To let ye all in on a li'l secret, she wasn't able to touch BB or anything because he had stopped believing in her. Sooooo, then when she was flung forward a few years, she will see BB . . . -raspy, husky, scary gollum-like voice- Accused of muuuuurdeeeeeeeerrrr . . . .

REVIEW!

xMary


	3. Raven, not Birdy

**After almost 3 months of hiatus from this story, I think I'm actually ready to continue… Though I'm having serious problems controlling my FMA obsession, now that I figured out my fave Anime pairing is canon (or is it CANNONNN? We shall never knoooow) AKA….ROYRIZA! WHEEE! Ya gotta love that pairing. The first or second hottest guy on television (Next to Dark from DNAngel) mixed with the kick-ass blonde trigger-happy girl…It's a concoction purely from above.**

**Now excuse my random ramblings, please. Haven't really been myself lately… Of course, I HAVE been Mary. Who else could I be, if not me? Dunno. But has anyone seen Charlie and the Chocolate factory yet? "Little girl, don't touch that squirrel's nuts!" Hehe. And I was overwhelmed. Danny Elfman, Tim Burton, and Johnny Depp are like Triplets. You can't separate them, or things really aren't the same. AND WHO'S EXCITED ABOUT 'THE CORPSE BRIDE'? Did anyone besides me and Glory notice that they were playing 'What's this?' in the background of it? Hehe…Obsessed.**

**Yeah…Let's see if Mary has got her groove back. Oh, and lots of stuff isn't going to happen. I dunno how to write the whole Doom Patrol thing. So most of this is improvisation…if that's even a word.**

**Not all of this is accurate. PLEASE DO NOT REVIEW, TELLING ME THIS. I already know; thanks.**

xXXx

Raven lifted her head, eyes clenched shut tightly, trying to get a clue at her new surroundings. An eyelid relaxed, and hesitantly opened, peering around. When she had gotten a good look, another eye had opened, and her jaw had dropped instantly.

"WHY can't I join you guys?"

"Because, 'Beast Boy', we don't know if you're really old enough to commit. I mean, you're only 13. The rest of us are way older than you."

"But my dream! That girl!"

It was Beast Boy and Robin bickering about Beast Boy joining the Titans. Raven rose to her feet, wiping the particles of time off of the velveteen surface of her cloak, and a stoic expression replaced the dumbfounded one. This incident hadn't occurred for about 2 years. The Teen Titans was in its infancy, and while they were all young, Beast Boy was definitely the youngest.

Robin was about 15, Starfire was 15, Cyborg was 16, and Raven herself was 14. Robin was having a hard time accepting that a 13 year old would join them, thinking that all he would do was fool around and act immature. Gee, how had he been able to predict the future so well?

"Raven?" Robin offered, resting his arms across his chest. "Sure, Raven should be the true leader. And sure, she's the one that brought us together. But even I think that she wouldn't approve of this. How do we know you're not lying?"

"Because I'm NOT lying," Beast Boy said aggravatedly, throwing his arms up. "Why don't you just ask her yourself? Didn't she TELL you I was coming? She went inside my dream and began TALKING to me!"

Robin looked over his shoulder expectantly, and Cyborg walked down the narrow hall-way, looking softly at Beast Boy. "Hey, little man, don't get--" Cy was cut off by Beast Boy's spazzing.

"WHO YOU CALLING LITTLE?" he demanded, standing up on his tippy-toes to try and meet the hybrid's eyes. "I'm bigger than a LOT of people! AND THINGS!" Cyborg took a step back, his human eye a complete circle.

"Whoa, man…Sorry….I didn't mean to…offend you, or anything…." He held up his hands plausibly, but Beast Boy wouldn't see to it. He turned to Robin, eyes narrowed.

"You have a huge half-tin can, an alien, a ….I don't know…And an ex-trapeeze artist who's used to rolling with Batman, but not a changeling to balance this all out?" he growled. "That's not pretty fair, coming from the guy who used to cry 'Gosh golly gee wilickers, Batman!'" Robin sighed, patting the spikes of his hair, and his mask bunched up.

"Enough," came a smooth, yet cold voice. Raven herself (Well, the Raven at age 14, hereby known as Young Raven) walked towards them, eyebrows furrowed. "You are all treating him like he's nothing but a child. He's right. I did visit him in his dream." Beast Boy was shocked by the monotone edge of her vocals, and immediately turned to face her. Raven (The older one) let her mouth fall open.

'Is that REALLY what I LOOK like!' she thought.

Younger Raven stood beside Beast Boy, her face stoic and callous. "Robin, he would be a nice addition to the team," she informed the boy wonder. "You just need to let him have a chance."

Robin sighed. "Fine…"

"Cyborg, add Beast Boy's information to the controls," Y. Raven directed drily. Soon, the two male Titans had gone off to do as they had been told, and the younger Raven whirled around, facing Beast Boy.

"Don't mind them." Her voice had reduced to a gentle, yet husky, whisper. "They're both idiots. Robin's lovesick over Starfire, the alien girl, and Cyborg is trying to come up with a breakthrough in our technology. As if it needs any more breakthroughs…." Beast Boy could only nod, a slight smile tugging at his lips. It was when Young Raven looked at him fully in the eyes, that he felt a new feeling. It was like he was receiving pleasurable acupuncture from her gaze. He had never known anyone who had had violet eyes before, and because of that, he could not avert his eyes. Staring was rude, but in this case it was addicting.

A slender, silvery hand disappeared under her cloak, and somehow conjured a yellow disk-shaped piece of plastic, with a white 'T' glued on the top's sleek surface, and a cell-phone antenna erect on the side. She drew it out slowly, then offered it to him.

"Welcome to the team."

A tiny gasp escaped Beast Boy's lips, and he meekly lifted his hand to retrieve the disk. Whatever it was, it was an honor receiving it. 'Especially from her,' a voice chimed within his head. It was funny, really. Because Raven, the older, wiser Raven, could hear that voice too. Immediately, her face heated up in a blush, and she spun away, covering her ears. Maybe she was just merely hearing things?

Why was it that, like a warmth from a fire, she was earning different feelings; feelings that didn't even make sense? She felt extreme happiness, then suddenly would feel bashful, and could feel the tips of her ears folding down a little, even when they weren't large enough to. She felt a certain heat radiating from her chest, and a hand fell to cover her heart, trying to feel it again. It was then that she realized those feelings weren't hers. They were Beast Boys.

'_HOLD UP!'_ her mind screamed, and Raven looked over her shoulder at the young Beast Boy, who was trying uselessly to convey his feelings into words for the Younger Raven, who was cocking an eyebrow at his attempts. Raven-Raven (Older Raven…Gosh this is so confusing), was now pacing.

'_This never happened before…..' _she was saying to herself mentally_. 'I can only feel people's emotions when I'm inside them, using my soul self….'_

'_Yes, but you're not YOU anymore,' _her Knowledge side answered.

'_But I'm still me! If I weren't me, you wouldn't be here.'_

'_I mean….you're BIRDY. His imaginary friend. I guess, since I have utterly no experience whatsoever with imaginary things, But I'm guessing that when you are an imaginary friend, you are attached to that person…'_

'_F-For how long?'_

'_My prediction is for life.'_

'_Are you saying…that I can feel what he feels…but that I have to stick with him now….for LIFE?'_

'_Calm yourself. I don't know if that is true…I told you, I have no knowledge of those things.'_

'_Then you have to find out.'_

'_Hello? I'm YOU. Which means that YOU have to find out.'_

'…_.Wait a second.'_

'_I don't know how!'_

Raven paused, and stole a glance at Beast Boy once more.

"Maybe if I sever this bond…." She began to herself, following Knowledge's proposition, "He will forget me. And I'll be free to go back…." Her eyes lit up. "YES!"

But that was a bad move, for Beast Boy whirled around, eyes locking onto her, and he hissed, "Hush!" The younger Raven placed a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder.

"Who's there?" she inquired. Beast Boy looked back at her, then cast a glance downward.

"No one," he murmured.

And instantly, Raven felt a cold spell begin to etch itself into her skin, through her pores. She felt herself begin to ebb away. Her eyes widened, and she extended her arm, hand open. "BEAST BOY, NO!" she screamed. She didn't exactly know what was going on, but she did have a hypothesis. He had stopped believing in her, and that in itself was tearing them apart. Beast Boy ignored her, and Raven looked down at herself.

She was gone.

xXXx

"What's going on?" Young Raven asked Beast Boy, frowning. "I swear, I saw you turn away and say something to the air."

"I'm fine," Beast boy replied sharply, avoiding eye-contact. Something strange was happening. First off, Birdy wasn't there anymore, simply because he had decided to fully shun her. Replacing her warm and tender spot, was a panicky feeling. His hand flew to his scalp, rubbing it. He needed her. Badly. But…. His eyes met Young Raven's, and he choked on an intake of breath. Aside from the fact that Birdy was more developed in some places, she and this 'Raven' girl were identical in appearance. Same eye shape and color. Same skin color. Same EVERYTHING.

Why was it that he hadn't realized that before, in his dreams, or when he had first met this girl? Why was it that she hadn't struck a chord that jump-started his memory until now? "Birdy?" he whispered warily, looking directly into Raven's eyes. It was an embarrassingly childish name, and if he hadn't been in this trance, he would have slapped himself for letting it slip.

"Huh?" Young Raven took a half-step back, but leaned in, head tilting. "'Birdy'?"

Beast Boy gulped. "Y-You're not her…..are you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Beast Boy."

"…And yet…you have to be….You look just like her."

"I'm…sure I look like a lot of different people."

"No. You look like her. Exactly like her." He lashed out an arm, wrapping his long, gloved fingers around her slender wrist. "You have to be her…"

She recoiled at his touch, eyes wincing almost. "I'm sorry." She shoved his hand off of her, and levitated. "But I'm not. Now….Just….Go lay down." She turned, and flew down the hall as fast as she could.

Beast Boy looked completely crest-fallen. He looked down at his hands, and back up at the area where the most beautiful and familiar girl he had ever met had stood just moments before. Why was he such an idiot? His hands lowered until they were hanging at his side, and he walked down the hall-way towards a spare room, whose door held no name.

xXXx

She was spinning through time, and she was sure of it. And yet, she wasn't sure of anything. She couldn't feel anything. Even herself. It was like she wasn't even there at all, to be blunt.

She felt a certain tugging….and then her eyes opened.

xXXx

"Birdy!" Beast Boy whispered desperately, rocking back and forth on his bed like a little child. He was hugging his knees like they were the only thing between sanity and insanity; as if he weren't sure which threshold he should cross. Suddenly, however, his beloved imaginary friend appeared at the foot of his bunk-bed, looking the same as she had looked before she had disappeared.

His eyes danced when he saw her, and pulled her (with some difficulty) onto his lap, crying, "When did you get back!"

"Just now….." Raven groaned, rubbing her head. "And don't ask me how, please."

"I…I was thinking…" Beast Boy gently pushed her off of his lap. "You know Raven? That girl?"

"Of course I do," Raven grunted. "I AM her."

"……That's impossible….You're BIRDY. SHE'S Raven…"

"Beast Boy…Gar…whatever you want to go by…." Raven made eye contact with him. "Don't you think it the least bit strange that we look almost exactly alike, she and I?" His gaze trailed downwards to his quilt.

"Yeah. It is."

"Don't you suspect anything at all? Like, maybe I'm her, and she's me?"

"Then how is it that you're here right now, and you actually ACCEPT me!" Beast Boy barked, his face lifting to allow Raven to acknowledge the tears running down the sides of his face.

Raven looked a little taken aback, but put a consoling hand on his shoulder. He shrugged out of her touch. "What do you mean?" she asked softly.

"She thinks I'm a freak. A total freak. Everyone thinks I'm a freak, Birdy! Except YOU."

She frowned. "She doesn't think that. I'd know. And no one thinks that about you…Beast Boy. Just give them time. She'll grow to like you more than you think."

"But…But…Birdy, you don't understand…She's so beautiful…Like you…But…"

"….Don't say that," Raven said curtly. "Please. Not now. Not ever. Not to me." She rose from her place on his bed, and headed towards the window.

"But why not?"

"Because she doesn't think it's true, and it hurts her. Like it hurts me."

"…Birdy…"

"Don't EVER call me that again," Raven snapped, her hands gripping the curtains to his window. She relaxed, and eventually let go. "It's Raven. Always has been, and always will be."

She skirted past his bed, and out his bedroom door.

**xXXx**

**I'm sorry this chapter probably doesn't cut it….neither would sorry. Buuuut my bro's gonna kick me off soon and yeah. I just got back from Virginia, and while I was there it was one disaster after another. Frankly, I cant tell you about one of those, because of the things it concerns…But my mom broke her arm (A very bad fracture…a spiral-type one, I think), and my sister in law was in a car accident, and kind of hurt her neck.**

**So I'm taking care of my mom like I'm the mom…a little… It's rough.**

**BUT OMFG! Has anyone heard the Roy/Riza duet song, sung by the Japanese voice actors for Roy and for Riza! IT'S SO ROMANTIC! And sexy. P If anyone wants the English translation lyrics, e-mail or AIM me and I'll get em to ya. The song itself is really cool. Niiiice n jazzy.**

**Yeah… -rubs back of neck- I guess a semi-huge weight has just been lifted off of my shoulders.**

**AND WE CAN BREAAAATHE AGAIN! (hehe, phantom of the opera)**

**-waves-**

**See y'allzz soon. I hope my writing didn't suck too badly.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	4. About to Crash

**Okay, guys? I haven't been watching the latest T.T. episodes… -stands in the open, and lets herself get pelted with rotting vegetables while grimacing- So that, I think, x'es out the whole doom patrol plot, but if someone else wants to type it up for me and send it to me, I'll very gladly accept it, and I'll give you credit. Plus, I'll edit the story, and make it so that you co-wrote it. D**

**Note: I hate re-reading my own stories, because I always pick out flaws and st00f. So please, if there is stuff missing, tell me in a review, and I'll try to edit. Mmkidayzzz?**

**AND READ MY NEW FMA FIC, 'Ame'! The title of this chapter comes from the song from disc 2 of 6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence by Dream Theater. YAY I SAW THEM IN CONCERT AND IT TOTALLY ROCKED!**

**Sorry this chapter is so short . **

**IV: About to Crash**

X-X

Thank God the tower was still the same as it was where Raven was from. She hurried to the roof, tears trickling down her cheeks, and flung the door open, taking in a gasp of night time air. It was cold, and she was damning the fact that she was wearing a mere cloak and leotard. Why did superheroes have to dress like complete and total moronic idiots by wearing SPANDEX? She shivered, shaking her head, and slumped to the cold pavement, perched on the edge of the roof like a small bird amongst a large branch.

Bird. Birdy. That's what G-- Beast Boy liked calling her as a child. Raven raised an eyebrow to herself. What a childish nickname. But of course, he lost his parents at a young age…meaning that his childhood had been cropped short, basically. Maybe that was why he was so immature…perhaps he was just insecure! (Sorry that that rhymed.) It all made sense now.

Raven's breathing increased, and her eyes widened as well. Beast Boy was insecure among his peers, so he felt the need to be goofy and immature. No wonder he really clung to Terra when she came along…Terra had been rejected all of her life…and she and Beast Boy really connected together. Her heart sank. Of course. They clicked. They were meant to be.

'But,' a voice inside Raven's head reminded her, 'They could have just connected as friends.'

"That's dumb," Raven mumbled, voice raw and raspy. "They were meant to be. It's obvious, and we all know it."

'You and Robin really click together. But he's in love with Starfire. He lost both of his parents, and you…well…yours were hardly there at all. That doesn't mean that if you click, you have to be romantically involved!' the voice replied, showing that it was determined to change her mind. Determined not to just lay down and die away.

"Robin and I are just friends!"

'…Exactly. And Terra and Beast Boy were in love, but their love…well…it's obvious that it was a childish infatuation. A simple crush was binding them together. You and Beast Boy connect as friends…but you love him with just about all of your heart. Terra didn't love him enough, since she betrayed him. Personally, as well as generally, as a team-mate. This is your CHANCE. When you get back, you have to swoop in and declare what's rightfully yours. A.k.a….declare your love for Beast Boy.'

"Hell no," Raven gave a hollow laugh, "I don't have that kind of courage."

'You underestimate yourself.'

"And about rejection?"

'It's obvious he shares your feelings, Raven.'

"Raven, who're you talking to?" came a soft, yet adolescently raspy voice. Raven's head snapped up, and she quickly looked around, her feathers ruffled.

"It's just me. Don't worry." Gar walked over, and plopped down beside her. "Unless you wanted to be alone…"

"No," Raven said gently, wiping her tears, "I'm okay. You can stay."

"Good. I wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

"Well…'us'."

"What about us?"

"Well…where you come from….were we…I dunno…DATING?"

Raven's face heated up. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…was there a Beast Boy/Raven couple where you come from? Were we in love?"

"No! No…"

His face fell in the crescent moonlight. "Oh. Sorry."

"No, Gar…It's not that…It's…not like I don't want there to be…but there are….too many complications in the way."

"Like?"

"Well, what if it didn't work out? We're team-mates; comrades, we can't just hook up like that. We're still teenagers."

"Yes but…love finds a way, doesn't it?" Gar was intent on stealing Raven's lips tonight.

"Maybe…Maybe after the Titans split, we could."

"But what would happen till then? Would you two just childishly blush when you pass each other, keeping your REAL feelings silent?" Gar asked sharply.

Raven looked up at him in shock, eyes slowly widening. He was right. What WOULD happen until then?

"You're right," she admitted softly. "But I don't want to create a weakness that could be a downfall to the team. Something that could give villains a way to bring us down."

"Stop thinking about the team, BIRDY. This isn't about them," Gar said, standing. He pulled Raven up as well, and despite the height difference, he reached up and stroked her hair. "This is about you. About US."

"About….us?" She gulped, blushing.

"About…." He said slowly and barely audibly, moving in closer, "…us…." Their lips brushed against each other's.

Suddenly, Raven was thrown into a raging whirlwind. Her eyes shot open. How could a moment so calm and silent, turn into something so monstrous? She reached, swimming in a forceful wind storm, for Gar's hands, but they had disappeared into thin air.

She gasped, trying to grab ahold of something, but soon found that she was switching time eras…again.

But where could she possibly be going now? Home?

The air was putting so much pressure on her chest, it made it hard to breathe, and a blinding light was shining directly into her eyes, even though she had them clamped shut. There was so much turmoil UNTIL…

It all came to a crashing halt, when the light began to fade. Her head was pounding, and she dared to open an eye, feeling her lungs begin to regain their proper stance. A warm sun was above her, and she felt herself wanting to feel more and more of it…

"Honey…Is that…."

There was a feminine gasp, from vocals that sounded more than familiar to Raven.

"Gar! It's RAVEN! It's…ME!"

"Honey, don't be silly!"

"I WANNA SEE!" A child's voice cried.

"No, Jayden," came the familiar woman's voice.

"But WHYYYYYY?"

"Just stand aside…"

"Okay."

Raven sat up, and her breath caught in her throat. Older versions of herself and Beast Boy were kneeling before her; a little girl who liked a mix between them was sitting on Beast Boy's lap.

Raven couldn't help it.

She fainted.

**xXXx**

**Once again, sorry for the shortness! Read and review! (Yes shes in the future!)**

**Admit it, this chapter had a lot of big stuff in it!**


	5. The Resolution

A/N: After 7 years, here it is! The final installment of 'The Green Album'! I doubt any of the people who used to read and review this story even use this site anymore. XD It's a sad thought, because being able to share with them this ending, no matter how how shoddily it was produced, would make me really happy. :)

Does anyone even read Teen Titans fanfiction anymore? I haven't really scoped the scene for 7 years, and once the show ended and I grew more into anime, I just...yeah.

I hope someone finds something decent in this chapter. For the longest time, I was positive that this story would lay unfinished, forever. To put any sort of ending to it feels fulfilling. Jeez, I was 13 when I wrote this... T_T

Oh, and whether Birdie was ever real or not, is up to your imagination. ;P

#

The Green Album

#

Chapter 5:

The Resolution

#

When Raven came to, she was still surrounded by the very figures that had been the source of her little foray into unconsciousness. Her hand flew to her heart and she gasped.

"I told you we shouldn't crowd her," the woman whom she recognized as her future self snapped. "Or rather, me."

"I was just doing it out of concern, you know that..." Beast Boy's voice came chidingly.

"Concert!" The little girl chirped, misinterpreting the large word.

'Concert'... The word prompted Raven to bolt upright, chest heaving. She scanned her surroundings, finding herself in what looked to be a fairly nice living room, carefully decorated and dotted with toys belonging to a preschooler. 'Concert'... The Green Day concert!

"I need to get back," she rasped, feeling around herself. She was laying on the plush red carpet, where she had first materialized in this time line, and she forced herself to her knees.

"Hold on a second, we have some questions," Beast Boy said, putting a hand on her shoulder and pushing her down until she was kneeling, ignoring the defiant look she gave him.

"Who are you?" The older Raven blurted out, and she extended her hand, fingertips brushing against her younger form's cheeks. "It's uncanny... Who could've created something this similar..."

"You think I'm a creation?" Raven laughed out. "For all I know, you two are creations!" Her eyes fell on the small child who had grown bored with the talk of adults, and was now playing with a cabbage patch doll. "And that one, too."

"All right, let's just talk this out calmly, then," Beast Boy said with a sigh, folding his arms across his chest. It was strange for her to see him in such mature-looking clothes. It was also strange to see him acting so mature in general! "It seems we're all a bit lost here."

"That's for sure," her older self muttered under her breath, brushing her hair over her shoulder. It sank down to about breast-level, a length that Raven couldn't imagine having at the point in time she came from.

"You two... are married. With a kid," Raven deadpanned, pointing at each of them.

"That's right," Beast Boy said with a smile.

"And you're... how old?" Older Raven asked, eyes narrowing in curiosity.

"I'm 16," the younger one replied.

"How did you get here?" Beast Boy cut in.

"I just... fell here," Raven explained with a shrug. "I've been spiraling through time, stopping only for a short time here and there to experience parts of your childhood memories."

His eyes widened, and then narrowed. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, and asked, "What about the day that I turned-"

"Yes. I witnessed that..." Raven said quietly. "The transformation..."

He readjusted himself, clearing his throat as the air within the room grew thick and tense.

"I also saw the formation of the Titans through your eyes," she informed him. "Throughout all of this, I was able to interact with you...I was your..."

"You were my imaginary friend."

All eyes fell on Beast Boy, except for Jayden's, as she was still pre-occupied.

"Yes... How did you know?!" Raven lurched forward, eyes wide.

"How could I not?" he questioned with a distant smile. "It was a figment within my imagination, an empty role, and you filled it. It disappeared around the time that I met you, when I had no use for such a thing anymore." He gazed lovingly at his wife, and reached for her hand, clasping it tightly. "I found something much better."

Older Raven leaned towards her husband and pressed her lips to his chastely, and her younger counterpart could have sworn she felt some sort of tingly sensation on her own lips.

"So yes... Now you know," she said, clearing her throat.

"The question is, how to get you back now," Older Raven mused.

"I knew I'd still be smart when I got old," Raven said with a smirk. Her older self rolled her eyes and swatted at her.

"How did this start in the first place?" Beast Boy asked.

"I found this weird incense in his room, and I smelled it," Raven told him with a shrug.

"Weird incense, huh..." He got a strange look on his face, and then it looked as though he had been struck by an epiphany. He jumped to his feet, and then looked down at them, saying excitedly, "Wait here!"

He disappeared from the room, leaving the two women (or one woman?) to exchange puzzled looks. When he returned, he was clutching a long slender box, and he lifted the top and tilted it down so that Raven could assess the contents.

"Is this what you were talking about?" he asked.

She leaned forward and inhaled deeply, eyes fluttering open and widening. "Yes! This is it! What is it?!"

Beast Boy took his seat next to Older Raven, handing the teenager the box to examine. "It's just something I found when I was a kid in Africa," he said. "Some witch doctor told me that it had powers, so to be careful where and when I lit it. Of course, I didn't believe him."

Raven lifted a stick of the incense and sniffed it. "Yes, this is definitely it," she said. "Do you think that if I light this, I'll get sent back?"

"Who knows," Beast Boy said. "I can find some matches if you want to give it a shot."

"Please!"

She sat in impatient anticipation as he got up again and went into what she assumed was the kitchen, rummaging in a drawer loudly. He returned looking triumphantly, holding up a tiny pack of matches.

"Found 'em!" he cried.

"Oh, thank God," Raven whispered, standing and taking the packet from him. She looked up at him and smiled wistfully. If this was what her future held, she didn't mind at all. Without warning, she lunged at him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

Beast Boy chuckled, patting her on the back. "Love ya too, Rae," he said teasingly as she pulled back.

She was blushing as she turned to her older self, and hugged her as well. "I always wondered what it'd be like to hug myself," she joked.

Older Raven smiled and pointed across the room. "I think someone else wants to say goodbye to you, too."

Raven swallowed and stepped across the room, crouching down and patting Jayden on the top of the head. "Bye, Jayden," she said gently.

"Bye, other mommy!" she responded, turning to face Raven with a gap-toothed grin.

The adults burst into laughter, but Raven sat there blushing with a feeling that she couldn't place. What would it be like to have a child with Beast Boy? She supposed she'd find out soon enough.

She stood and stepped out into the hallway outside the living room, eyeing the front door. She waved to everyone and then pulled the door open, closing it shut behind her.

Raven fumbled with the incense and set the box down at her feet, and then proceeded to fiddle with the matches thereafter, struggling to light them. Once a flame was struck, she quickly set it against the incense stick, and held her breath.

"Please work," she whispered. "Please, please, just take me home. I want to see _my_ Beast Boy."

Smoke curled from the stick between her fingers, and she shut her eyes, exhaling shakily and allowing the fumes enter her lungs at will.

Before she knew it, she was back under again, with an elated smile etched across her face.

This was the last time she ever wanted to wake up wondering where she was. She sat up, rubbing her head, and inhaled. There were still traces of the incense, but there was something else familiar hidden beneath it. Her eyes widened and she sniffed again.

Something warm...

Titans Tower!

Scampering to her feet, she spun on her heels and saw the tower behind her. Unable to hold back the grin that spread across her face, she dashed down the walkway to their front door. Flinging it open, she released a squeak of joy upon realizing that she must have returned to her time period, because she recognized the pair of shoes that Starfire had gushed over buying with Robin last week sitting by the coat closet.

"Guys!" she shouted. "I'm back!" She realized how uncharacteristic it was of her to yell like that, or even talk much at all, but she couldn't help but feel the need to let everything out. She stepped down the hall and poked her head into the main room.

"I think I heard something," Cyborg said in a low, serious voice, waving the others over.

"I heard it, too!" Starfire whispered loudly. "It did not sound like it was mad, though!"

"You guys just stay here, I'll figure this out," Robin said, resting a hand on Star's shoulder as he walked out to investigate. He paused when he saw Raven's head, and his shoulders sagged in relief. "Good thing you're here, Rae. Did you hear a strange voice a minute ago?"

'Strange voice'? Seriously?

"Hm, now that you mention it... I didn't," she responded sweetly. "And I didn't know this was how you all would react to my being happy for once." She rested her hands on her hips. "Kinda sad, don't ya think?"

"Kill it!" Cyborg shouted. "Kill it with fire!" He jumped behind the couch, peering over the top with eyes filled with fear.

"Raven!" Starfire cried gleefully. "This is wonderful!" She ran over, arms outstretched, and took the girl into her arms. "You are not acting gloomy and intimidating!"

"Yeah, I guess it is wonderful..." Raven mused distractedly, patting Starfire on the back halfheartedly.

"What's going on?" Beast Boy's voice came from behind them, as he came up from behind her. "I heard a lot of noise coming from in here, so I wanted to check it out."

"Beast Boy!" Raven cried, unable to contain it. To the surprise of everyone else, including Beast Boy, she threw herself at him, clinging to him tightly. "I'm so sorry! We can go to the concert! It's not Gay Day, it's Green Day!"

Beast Boy stared at the others blankly, not bothering to return the embrace. "What the hell is going on?" he asked, deadpan.

"We have no fuckin' clue!" Cyborg yelled from behind the couch. "It's like she got a little bit too tipsy!"

Raven pulled back and smiled at Beast Boy. "I realized, it was wrong of me to treat you so badly all of this time. Now, I understand everything you've been through... I feel like such a bitch..."

The rest of the team coughed loudly.

Beast Boy stared at her, eyes wide. "Raven... You were in my room, weren't you? I knew it!"

She frowned at not getting the response she had so desired, and nodded slightly.

"You messed with my incense, didn't you? You dropped the box on the floor and made a mess of my comic book collection!" He cried, breaking free of her hold and flailing his arms wildly.

Raven raised an eyebrow, her heart thumping loudly in her ears. "What do you mean?"

"I think you must have inhaled a little too much of it or something... I mean you had dropped all this stuff like a gingerbread trail," he explained with a snort, conjuring the ruby that usually stuck to the clasp of her cloak. "I don't know what kind of trip you were having, but it must've been a good one."

She backed away, gasping. "So...when I woke up outside... I had really..."

"Come to think of it, I thought I heard the door slamming about 15 minutes ago," Robin said quietly.

She clapped her hands over her mouth. "Beast Boy! We need to talk!"

"Yeah, we do," he said, rolling his eyes. She seized his wrist and dragged him away from the group, down the hallway and into her room.

"I swear, it wasn't some kind of trip! Whatever your incense is, it has POWERS!" Raven hissed at him.

Beast Boy stared at her, and then burst into laughter.

"I saw it... I saw when your parents died! I saw everything!" she went on, growing hysterical.

His laughter died, and he stared at her. "You...what?"

"I saw us...the future... Our daughter..."

His eyes broadened and then he glared at her. "What are you on, Raven?! What's wrong with you?!"

"I don't know!" she shouted. "I thought coming home would solve everything!" For the first time in years, she felt close to tears, tears of frustration.

"Why were you thinking of me?" Beast Boy asked.

"Because I love you," Raven whispered. "It's hard for me to show you without acting like a jerk..."

He stared at her as though she had grown two heads and shat a rainbow piano. "You love me?" he repeated.

"I'm sorry I've treated you so badly," she told him quietly, slowly turning around. "It won't happen anymore. I'll stay out of your way, if you want."

"Raven... I...I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything."

"I've loved you, too. For a long time."

She looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes sad and tired, yet glimmering with relief. "You have?"

"Yeah," he said softly. "Why else would I act out so much to try and get you to notice me?"

She turned around and closed the distance between them, cupping his chin. "Oh, Gar..." she whispered.

"Ooh, I like the sound of that," he murmured in a low, rumbling voice, his hands falling to her waist.

It took a moment to summon the courage, but she angled her head and leaned in slowly until their lips brushed together, and then sealed them. The kiss was long, they simply stood there embracing each other and enjoying the new bond they had created.

When they parted for breath, Raven rested her head on his shoulder, smiling to herself.

She wanted to paint that future that she had seen, it had been too real to have been fake. There was no way she would let it slip through her fingers, she would definitely make it happen.

–

The end!

–


End file.
